The viral “Cockroach” political satire movement that originated in India has now crossed borders, making its way into Pakistan’s social media landscape with several parody political pages emerging online.
Inspired by India’s rapidly growing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Pakistani users have launched multiple spin-off groups and accounts such as Cockroach Awami Party, Cockroach Awami League, and Muttahida Cockroach Movement. The trend appears to be gaining traction among young social media users in Pakistan, mirroring the online momentum witnessed in India.
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One Pakistani page describes itself as “A political front of the youth, by the youth, for Pakistan,” while another states, “Jinhein system ne cockroach samjha, hum unhi awaam ki awaaz hain” (We are the voice of those whom the system considered cockroaches).
The Pakistani versions have adopted branding similar to their Indian counterpart, including cockroach-themed logos, though many pages use a green-and-white colour palette to establish a distinct identity from Pakistan’s mainstream political parties such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and Pakistan Peoples Party.
India’s Cockroach Janta Party was launched by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Indian student at Boston University who previously worked with Aam Aadmi Party as a political communications strategist. The satirical collective also released a manifesto and launched its own official website.
Unlike the Indian version, however, the Pakistani movement appears to be more decentralised, with several independent creators running their own separate pages and interpretations of the trend.
The movement began in India after Surya Kant reportedly compared unemployed youth and activists to “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a Supreme Court hearing. He later clarified that the remarks were directed at individuals allegedly entering professions using fake degrees.
Despite not being an officially recognised political party, the Cockroach Janta Party has witnessed explosive growth online, reportedly crossing more than 20 million Instagram followers within a week of its launch on May 16.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
